Farkarn Dacre
Farkarn Dacre, known as Fark among his friends, was the first king of Avalot and helped to establish much of the Eastern Territories as is known in the common age. His lineage also began to the Dacre reign and established the capital city of Avo. Background Farkarn was born in 138 AU as the only child of an outspoken revolutionary figure who fought against the nobility of Avalot stealing money from the commoners during the worst days of the Great Schism. He proved himself to be an excellent diplomat, and using his father's old connections created an army strong enough to repel the Pale Reach's forces. In 162 AU, Farkarn succeeded in defeating King Bradley Ernest at Thunderfoot Hold, effectively ending the war at the age of fifteen. He later went on to establish the basic monarchy for Avalot, organizing the entire nation from the Pinelands, and founding several cities including Avo. He later died in 181 AU during the First Barbarian Invasion. History In the spring of 138 AU, Farkarn was born to his mother and father, Elda and Benjen Dacre. He was actually raised in the Pinelands, near present day Blackport, where he spent most of the time growing up normally. His father, Benjen, was a radical against the religious Reachmen and greatly spoke out against the westerners and the nobles of the east too disorganized to attack them. For his brunt behavior, he was hanged when Farkarn was but 10 years old. The moment changed his life, and he focused learning whatever he could about his enemies and started building relations with important people. It was quickly proven that young Farkarn was a genius a diplomacy, able to win over just about anyone with the right words. By age 14, in 152 AU, Farkarn had approached several noble families and had gathered a large host of followers. This army, hosted in the Pinelands, had gotten the attention of the remaining nobles and Avalot army whom had been fighting with the Reachmen for the past few decades. They demanded that Farkarn's army join them in their fight. In response, Farkarn had commoners break into the homes of the nobles and turned the threat onto them. They agreed and by 153 AU, Farkarn had the east united into a single force. When the Reach started their march into the Pinelands, Farkarn was waiting for them, proving his tactical mind was also excellent at military planning. He used the dense forests of the Pinelands to his advantage, attacking the army and leading them deeper into the forests. Then, using his acquired noble's fortune, he purchased ships to sail his army around and trap the majority of the Reach's army in the dark forests. As the Reach suffered heavy loses, they retreated back to the Baltic Hills, where they had made their base of operations in the former Avalot capital, Fordrim. For his swift defeat of their forces and his relentless tactics, the Reachmen nicknamed Farkarn Rolling Thunder, despite not even know he was a fifteen year old boy. By way of communicating with the locals, Farkarn was eventually able to invade the city of Fordrim and barely lose a single man. Being so young, King Bradley Ernest lost a lot of favor with his people when they discovered Farkarn's age. Farkarn did show some mercy on the old King and sent him back to the Pale Reach alive. The Dacre Line In the year 163 AU, after gathering many followers and supporters, Farkan revealed his intentions to form two separate nations with the territory won during the Great Schism. In 164 AU, Avalot and the Pinelands were established and work on the construction of Avo began as a central form of governance for the new countries. With a new capital on the horizon, Farkarn worked to then establish a new order of monarchy that was more open to advisers than previously, with him as King. He demanded that all nobles in the Avalot providence bend knee to him and pledge their armies to Avalot as a whole, giving them a single banner to unite under if there ever was a cause to fight for but still allowing them to maintain their independence. Farkarn was officially crowned King in 165 AU. While the Reach devolved into the Three Brother's War, Farkarn continued to strengthen the bonds of his new nations, keeping a loose grip on the nobles to respect their own powers and put their faith in him. Farkarn married to a wealthy Pinelands noblewoman, Valara DeCroft, to further tighten the friendship with his neighbors. Thus truly began the Dacre line, with Farkarn having several children before the conflict brewing in the west became too big to ignore. The First Barbarian Invasion In 180 AU, the brothers Farns Ernest and Bermus Ernest from Farqual and Berma approached Farkarn with tales of the return of the Westward army, whom had pillaged their homes. Recognizing the true threat these barbarians posed, Farkarn immediately set to work with the brothers to convince the nobles of Avalot and the Pinelands to lend them their aid. Through clever politics and manipulation, after some years spent in Avo, Farkarn was eventually able to organize help through the marriage of Farns to his wife's younger sister. With an army behind him, Farkarn marched on the Pale Reach, where the Westwardens were celebrating their victory. Unfortunately, Farkarn greatly under estimated the sheer numbers of the army and was killed on the field of battle in 181 AU. The fight was taken up by his general, Titus Vicman, who personally carried off the King's body from the battlefield and had it delivered to his family to be cremated. Farkarn's first born son, Benjen, took the throne when he came of age. Personality Farkarn was widely known as a carefree but very intelligent young man. As a result, he could be very difficult to read for those who did not know him. He kept his friends close, liking to spend time with them in the tavern rather than rule his nation all day. As he grew older and had his family, he showed extreme devotion to his wife and loved his children more than anything. On the battlefield, Farkarn was a fair fighter but preferred more to fight smart than honorably. He was well loved by his subjects and his death was mourned for weeks after his cremation.